#hlitf drama

[sterkeyra]

HLITF VIP Event: Summer Sunshine

Uwaaah I'm so happy this got localized!

The new Event of Her Love in the Force truly released at the best time and awakened the summer feelings just right. The stories were a mix of funny, cute but also spicy tales of the trip to the beach. Apparently public safety had another training session on sea, but their ship sank and they were stranded on a lone island. Lot's of opportunities for misunderstandings but also great for sweet nothings when watching the sunset together. Building a sandcastle with Tsugaru was so cute and wholesome! And it cracked me up that his Nr. 1 of people to bring to an island is still Momo. But it's very understandable, as Momo is like a Swiss Knife in human form.

The Completion image is hilarious and like a still of Seconds before drama occurrs. Poor Ishigami being the victim to Tsugarus pranks. He should just sit down next to his Lieutenant Soma next time and enjoy his drink. Goto got a bit too fierce into beating Kurosawa and Shinonome has to pay for it. I wonder if Shinonome builds sandcastles or searches for seashells... or fossils. Papa Namba at least made sure that everyone get to eat that night, though maybe Kaga could devour it all by himself. Those muscles need nutrition after all.

Also someone call Takane, there's a crab on the lose!

Anyways enjoy, I really recommend this VIP Event!

Though it should be noted, that Tsugaru's story takes place before he becomes a couple with MC.

[hotcocosharing]

Lose To Win Chapter 23: All The Help She'd Get

Title: Lose To Win Chapter 23 Fandom: Kiss By The Baddest Bidder & Her Love In The Force Rated: Drama, Thriller, Angst, Fluff, Smut, Mystery? MPD’s OC: Mika HIJIKATA KBTBB’s OC: Mia SAKATA Characters: Goto, Kaga, Shuichi, Eisuke, Soryu, Mamoru, Baba, Ota

Summary: 1. Soryu, Mika & Kaga had threesome, (here) 2. Soryu got shot, Kaga left him to bleed (to death, sort of) 3. Soryu was operated by Dr. Edwards (suspicious Dr working for mysterious boss) and Luke in Eiuke’s suite 4. Esiuke got invited to the cruise’s exclusive auction & Mia decides to STOP him

Tagging: adrienneloves so you’d know what happens to Soryu and Mika.  111archravenue , silver-red-rose , lxvescramble & hifftn who’ve always been here for me :’( Thank you! I know this series is taking forever and if you’ve missed my feeds or simply want to know what happens next, let me know and I’ll tag you. Background: Mika went to the Tres Spades Hotel under Eisuke’s request. (Order) and led to seeing her ex- Hyogo Kaga. With Jin Namba’s persuasion, Eisuke agrees to work with Public Safety, going on an eight days cruise trip with Kaga, Goto and Mika. What kind of mystery and danger await? You have no idea!

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★ Chapter 1: The Reunion Chapter 2: RSVP Chapter 3: Recharge Chapter 4: Welcome Back Chapter 5: Decision Of A Lifetime Chapter 6: Our Story Chapter 7: Stress Release Chapter 8: Play Thing Chapter 9: What The Three Words Mean Chapter 10: A Real Man Chapter 11: The CEO Chapter 12: Boarding Chapter 13: What Did You Wish For? Chapter 14: Don’t Tease Me Chapter 15: One Hell Of A Night Chapter 16: Feeling Lucky? Chapter 17: Left In The Past Chapter 18: Poker Face Chapter 19: To Victory Chapter 20: Wish Comes True Chapter 21: Last Apology Chapter 22:  Can You Handle It?

Chapter 23:  All The Help She’d Get

Mia’s & Eisuke’s World “I think this is a mistake.” Mia stares at the reflection of Eisuke as his back is facing her.

“I rarely make any mistake.” He says coldly, “And your opinion isn’t required on this matter.”

It never is! Mia internally screams her remarks, no one ever values her opinion, they never bother asking because her thoughts don’t matter. She has no say- not in the matter of getting caged and sold in a black market auction, or taking her time to digest the shock and confusion before choosing her NEW OWNER and most definitely never has the choice of being involved in so many troubles. 

She hasn’t asked for any of it, she always bites her lips and accepts her fate because she believes everything happens for a reason and each painful experience is just as precious as the rest. Being an unexpected highlight of that auction has miraculously led her to Eisuke, the one man who’s misunderstood by many yet she sees right through him at critical times. 

“Let the others find him!” She clings to him from behind, begging him not to go because this is one of those times. Something is not right and if she’d feel this is a trap, so does Eisuke.

His hands rest on hers, squeezing them for a few seconds before pulling them away. “He’s my father.”

“You don’t even know if he will be there or if they have actual information on him.”

“Yes, they do.” His hands back on his tie while his eyes stay on her. “I need to know the truth. He’s my father. Aren’t you the one who goes on all the time about how important family is?”

“I am your family, Eisuke. And I’m your…….” Her argument trails off, who is she to him? His woman, his girlfriend, his fiancée? They haven’t exactly put a tag on it and Eisuke hasn’t even once mentioned about their future, does he intend to make her Mrs. Ichinomiya or she’ll see someone else takes her place over some business deals while Eisuke makes her stay? It is very possible, Mia knows that deep in her heart, she simply chooses not to think about it. But right now, she’s not exactly convincing. 

“He’s my family.” He clears his throat then draws a long, shaky breath. “I deserve to know the truth.”

“But this could get you killed, Eisuke. Just listen to me for once, please!” Her plea makes no difference, as expected. She has lost again, she could never win against him. Not with her concern, morals and certainly not with her love. “I’m your family too.” She murmurs once again, mostly to herself.

All these years of care, tolerance, and understanding, persuading herself that he always has a good reason for whatever he does because the ends justify his means. With that, the bathroom door closes behind her. She needs some space, anywhere free from Eisuke. 

“I’ll see you at the party,” he stands by the door frame, “though I prefer to show up together." 

Mia sighs, nearly laughing at herself. This is his way of telling her that he’s being understanding, he has changed his preferences for her mood swing.

Standing in front of the mirror with her hands gripping onto the marble sink, she thinks hard. What can she do to stop him? She pulls her hair back into a high ponytail then holds an eye makeup pen up close to her lash line. Who would help her to make it happen? She presses her finger on the outside corner of her eyelid and draws a thin line. Next, she picks up a makeup brush and swirls it in a small container of blushes before dabbing it onto her cheeks. What is Eisuke most afraid of? Picking up a lipstick she carefully applies a deep, glossy red, one that matches her dress perfectly. Eisuke does like her to stand out regardless of the efforts she has spent on staying away from spotlights. It’s simply not possible, not when she’s with Eisuke Ichinomiya.

That’s it!

An idea strike, a brilliant one she would think but perhaps not to others or at least it could only be brilliant with their help. She needs to be careful with her choice of help though, someone who has the knowledge to make it happen and the ability to keep it under everyone’s radar.

Continue from Mika’s World

"Why can’t you be a supportive sister like you should for once?!”

The room is left with dead silence again, honestly, you hate Eisuke’s suite so much! Glaring at your twins with your fists clenched, you don’t even know where to begin. With so much going on and now being accused of a lousy sister really should be the least of your worry. You exhale deeply and huff out in frustration, “Soryu hasn’t waked up yet.” Eying Luke on the side, he nods as confirmation. “I need to find the shooter." 

"And I need to stop Eisuke from dying.”

You have to bite your tongue before slipping out something you’d regret. Mia worries a lot and normally you wouldn’t blame her, with the deals and underground businesses of Eisuke’s, she would be insane not to think so. But, death? When Soryu is the actual one lying in bed, the only truth you want to tell your sister is to stop being dramatic but her teary eyes meet yours, whispering out a request you couldn’t ignore. “Please, help me.”

Whatever reasons Mia has, she has persuaded Luke to take part and now you are her only hope.

“Fine,” you mutter, “just text me the essentials, skip me for the planning.” You quickly add then excuse yourself for a conversation you have neither the time nor the energy to engage.

You still need to meet Goto for another dinner party, just how many more of these damn parties do you have to attend before anyone of you are even close to finding who the heck is manipulating this whole orchestra!?

NOTES: NEXT- Takao from MFW again :) Eisuke at auction while the rest try to find the shooter/assassin waitress in the party, oh it’s a masquerade party

[aqvarius]

Not me wanting ayumu’s mc to be less tolerant 🤪 My toxic trait is I want more anGST

my fave moments are when she actually gets (and stays) upset about things and leaves and ayumu has to work extra hard to chase her down LMAO that lingerie substory was *chefs kiss* amazing

also that substory which i THINK was translated/released recently but i haven’t read in eng yet but where he makes her run errands in the summer and she collapses bc of heatstroke and accidentally calls MIYAYAMA LOL it’s so delicious

[world-a-to-z]

HLITF's Schedule for September on 100恋+

Kaga's Trial of Love Main Story and POV

Kaga x MC x Memory Loss 💔

"...I don't like this guy."

[whatdoyouexpectthistime]

MJS Aftermath - SIX FEET Part 3

While humble had never been easy for Miho, she had much bowing to do when she eventually went home to face Goto’s family. Though difficult, her apologies were sincere, for she had no desire to hurt them or compound their suffering, even if they did not agree with her point of view. A compromise was struck, and though she would not concede her belief that Goto was still alive, she accepted no accord would be met and did not pursue further attempts to convince them the whole funeral thing was a sham.

She resigned herself to being the most supporting daughter and sister she could be, though Issei seemed unsurprisingly angry at her still.

Shinichi, Seiji’s father, would have liked traditional Shinto customs observed, but the circumstances being what they were, there were several steps concerning the corpse that could simply not be performed as one might with a fully intact body.

Still, Miho returned to the Goto family residence out of Tokyo to help in the preparation of food offerings; her only real contribution that all offerings be made at a reasonably cool temperature, the way Seiji would have been able to eat it. But her resolve did not waver.

As the process proceeded toward the wake, she’d had several follow-up conversations with Liana, who had pledged to use her journalistic sources to investigate what current criminal organisations within Japan would have access to highly restricted flammables, despite knowing her husband would not be impressed if he found her meddling. So far, she had come up empty, though several organised crime groups had certainly been more active of late; Liana did not keep this from Miho or Jazz, the latter who was staying in accommodations nearby to continue offering Miho her support.

On the day of the wake, everyone visibly donned the darkness of their grief, and Miho robotically greeted mourners to accept their condolences.

She wanted to shout out how pointless all their words were, their tears, when Seiji was still alive somewhere – not a pile of bones awaiting further cremation – but she kept it buried behind a stoic, if tired mask.

Priests prayed and prayed and prayed, before mourners were fed, but Miho had no appetite. Under Subaru and Jazz’s watchful eyes, she remained quiet, while those who didn’t know her very well at all whispered about how strong the wife of a police officer had to be, how brave she was.

“This is normal, right?” Subaru whispered to Jazz as the pair observed Miho’s blank expression.

Her eyes were directed at the coffin, but there was nothing to see in her gaze at all.

“Miho’s never normal,” Jazz replied just as quietly. “And you know she’s only doing this for Goto’s family; she still won’t believe he’d dead.”

“I guess, maybe I can’t blame her, after that whole thing with her ex-husband’s faked death and all,” Subaru noted, but he was scowling – after all, this was difficult for him too. “But, how long do you think this will last?”

Jazz tilted her head a little as she considered her best friend, then looked up into Subaru’s face.

“I think you know her well enough now,” she said. “If she believes something, no one will sway her.”

“So, what do we do?” he scowled, as people began to line up to say their final farewells.

“We just be here for her, if she needs us,” Jazz shrugged, drawing in a deep breath and releasing it slowly. “For her, this isn’t nearly over.”

Shinichi first, Haruka then Issei, then it was Miho’s turn to stand before Goto’s coffin and bid farewell to the man she loved more than her own life.

It seemed silence fell, a thick blanket of tense expectation for those who knew how she felt; but when she spoke it was so softly only the closest ears could have overheard.

“I will never let you go,” she whispered, glaring at the coffin intensely. “And when I find you, I’m going to kick your ass for putting me and your family through this.”

That was his send off, and when all had passed and said their goodbye, the immediate family travelled to the crematorium.

It was ironic – Miho even wanted to laugh at the idea a man reduced to bone would be cooked all over again in the name of tradition – but she managed to hold it in.

Instead, she took some time alone before they all returned to the house, staring across the rows of headstones, of mausoleums.

“Not today,” she grated under her breath, jaw clenched as she was struck with an overwhelming pang of loneliness.

“Mrs. Goto,” Kaga said, clearing his throat. “I was going to congratulate you on whatever you said to unsettle Captain Ishigami,” he continued, his voice low. “But there will be more appropriate times for that.”

Miho hadn’t had as much to do with Kaga as she had Goto’s direct superior, but she knew the man was callous, or clumsy, or a mixture of the two – enough to not be offended by his awkward, misplaced dig at Ishigami.

“Tell me, Captain,” Miho said, her voice thick, her watery eyes fixed on the distance. “Do you believe it? What you’ve seen on your surveillance tapes? What you’ve heard, read in reports? Would Seiji be so incompetent as to fall prey to a death and make his wife a widow?”

For a man rarely at a loss for words, Kaga’s lips parted but no sound emerged. Unusually, he seemed to be thinking carefully before speaking.

“Would Lieutenant Goto intentionally put himself at undue risk?” he rephrased, but Miho intercepted his dodge.

“Not what I asked,” she snapped, inching a little closer to him.

“I am sure of what I observed, and am satisfied with the rigor of our forensic investigators,” he answered slowly, and Miho jumped on his hesitation.

“Damnit, Hyogo, you know what I’m asking!” she barked, giving his chest a bit of a shove, and Kaga snatched her wrist.

This caught the attention of Liana, who was standing nearby with a phone pressed to her ear.

“These are questions for Captain Ishigami,” Kaga told her, lowering his head and his tone.

“He was as slippery as you, and it’s suspicious,” Miho hissed.

“You’re grieving,” he asserted, trying to sound accommodating, maybe even sympathetic. “You’re raw and hurting and wanting all this to be a horrible nightmare, but…”

“I DISBELIEVE!” she snarled, shaking herself free, and several others looked over, including Issei.

“Captain Kaga,” Liana began amiably, as she approached to defuse a true blow-up of the situation.

She had since ended her phone call, and gave the pair her entire focus.

“Please, allow me,” she smiled warmly, slipping her hand into Miho’s.

Not quite with his tail between his legs, but certainly without reluctance, Kaga nodded and shifted away from the two women.

“You just saved him a black eye,” Miho hissed, scuffing her toes in the gravel irritably.

“Just a black eye?” Liana smirked cheekily, and this got Miho to smile wickedly.

“Yeah okay, he might have lost a little more; I’m fed up with getting chided for not being morose enough,” she muttered, allowing Liana to turn her away from the gathering at the shrine.

“Well, I just got off the phone with reliable source,” Liana explained quietly, “who said a known terrorist group on Public Safety’s watchlist called Kurai, had recently been planning a serious attack, but now the group is in chaos - something about an internal power struggle.”

“When?” Miho prompted, giving Liana her full attention.

“That’s what caught my attention,” Liana nodded. “According to my source, an attack targeting shinkansen lines was supposed to happen two days after Goto’s supposed death.”

Miho’s brows drew slowly down, but she wasn’t drawing any major conclusions yet, but the wheels were definitely turning. Liana’s acceptance of Miho’s belief in Goto’s survival was warming, a relief.

“No terrorists though,” Miho noted.

Any disruption to the train network would be big news – a case of terrorism, if it had occurred, would have been all over the news

“So their plans were disturbed,” Miho added, thinking aloud.

“I wasn’t able to get much in terms of specifics,” Liana admitted, “but,” she continued quickly, “Kurai is having a bit of a management crisis, which might explain why their plans fell through.”

“Seiji,” Miho exhaled. “This is totally his doing.”

“Entirely possible,” Liana smiled, but quickly her expression fell. “And if that’s the case, his death, could all be a part of the investigation.”

About that idea, Liana did not look at all impressed.

“I’m going to need to speak to your husband again,” Miho growled, and while Liana would defend Ishigami when he was in the right, she had no issue taking him to task when he was wrong.

“We’re staying here overnight,” Liana revealed. “I’ll give you the hotel address.”

 “Spill it,” Miho charged, the moment Liana opened the door of her hotel room.

Stunned, Ishigami blinked at the instant onslaught, but Miho did not even allow him to draw breath.

“He’s not dead, and you’re going to tell me what the fuck is going on or…”

“Stop right there, Mrs. Goto,” Ishigami said, emerging from his stupor.

“I will not stop!” she snapped – in his face, teeth bared and savage. “Whatever this is? Terrorists? All of Japan, the world in peril? Because if it’s not, the bullshit you’re putting me, and Seiji’s family through it outrageous and I…”

“You need to calm down,” he tried to reason, but Liana could see the cracks forming in his demeanour.

“Would you? If I told you Liana was dead, tell me you wouldn’t be in my face demanding answers,” Miho pressed, finally stabbing a finger against his chest, and there Ishigami lost his cool.

“That is enough,” he snapped, and even Liana flinched.

Miho’s lips continued to move, but no sound emerged.

After a few tense seconds, Ishigami adjusted his glasses and exhaled a slow sigh.

“Kurai,” Miho prompted, more tempered in tone. “Seiji infiltrated them, didn’t he?”

Walking to the window, Ishigami sighed again.

“Yes,” Ishigami admitted, softly. “And… his death… is essential to not only the success of the operation, but to his survival because…”

Hanging off his every word, Miho leaned forward; Ishigami turned back to the room and pair of expectant gazes, his own serious.

“There is a mole in Public Safety.”

“Who?” Miho blurted.

“If I knew that, all this would not be necessary,” Ishigami grumbled, fiddling with his glasses again. “The only way to protect him and his contact within Kurai, is to convince everyone in Public Safety he is no longer in play.”

“So… who does know he’s alive?” Liana asked.

“Myself, Chief Namba, and now the two of you, against my better judgement,” he answered wearily. “Though I must say, I am immensely relieved to have brought your suffering to an end.”

“I’d still be livid if I didn’t know you genuinely did this to protect Seiji,” Miho nodded slowly. “But am still pissed off you didn’t think me capable of feigning grief.”

“This is a case of substantial import,” Ishigami insisted. “Telling anyone what you have learned could not only destroy our chances of bringing down Kurai, but lead to catastrophic infrastructure damage and death.”

“I got it,” Miho huffed, running her fingers through her hair in a frustrated manner, before reaffixing her gaze on him.

Softer.

Beseeching.

“Have you had contact with him?” she asked, voice so much smaller. “Is he injured?”

“Not… recently, no,” he admitted, motioning for her to sit.

She complied.

“But his last communication was directly to my private number informing me of his status – unharmed – a brief situational report, and his strong suspicion he and his contact had been compromised by a mole in Public Safety.”

It wasn’t until a cup of tea appeared before her, that Miho realised Liana had snuck away. With a small smile, Miho accepted the offering.

“So, what do you do now?” she frowned, before blowing softly against the rim of her mug.

“Well,” Ishigami began again, moving to also sit. “I will have to inform Chief Namba that you’re now aware of the situation. He will probably wish to speak to you himself.”

  Though he was the Chief of Public Safety, when Miho followed Ishigami into Namba’s office, the broad-shouldered looked decidedly uncomfortable.

“So, where do you want it, Jin?” she dropped, flat and cold and staring daggers.

“Excuse me?” Namba blinked, looking from Miho to his subordinate.

“I believe she means to hit you,” Ishigami translated, and Namba’s brows twitched.

“Hit is the polite translation,” Miho snorted, pointing at him sharply. “I get your need for secrecy, but all this is bullshit – I should have been told.”

“Ah,” he nodded, shifting a little before his fingers knitted together before him.

“No doubt Captain Ishigami has now explained the seriousness of the situation?”

At this, it was Ishigami’s turn to squirm a little.

“I think we both know, Mrs. Goto is not one to let something go once she has sunk her teeth into it,” he said, then wished he’d used different phrasing when Miho bared her teeth.

“You knew marrying a skilled undercover agent could result in time apart,” Namba explained. “And that strict rules of confidentiality would prevent you from knowing the details of his missions.”

This was true, but in Miho’s mind, what they had done to her and the rest of Goto’s family was way beyond that.

“You killed me,” she asserted, tone low and dangerous as she leaned forward across his desk. “You carved out my heart, and you set it beside the heart of his mother, and father and brother…”

“For Lieutenant Goto’s safety,” Namba insisted.

“And that’s the only reason I haven’t crawled over this desk and ripped out your throat,” she growled, at which point, Ishigami did the brave thing and put a restraining hand on her shoulder.

“That is quite enough,” he told her firmly. “We are all sorry for the pain you have experienced, but as I said earlier, the greater good was, is served by the continuing secrecy of Goto’s mission.”

Surprisingly, Miho didn’t throw his hand off. In fact, she straightened and let out a long breath to balance herself before resettling her gaze on Namba.

“So, I suppose you want to get him home,” he then said, a sparkle lighting up his eyes. “And since you no doubt know most of what’s going on - if I’m right about your interrogation abilities – I have an idea of just how you can help do that.”

“Sir?” Ishigami frowned, but Namba held his hand up.

“If it was to become known in Public Safety circles, that you had received a missive from Lieutenant Goto prior to his death, and that you felt it necessary to take action upon that information…”

“That could draw the mole out to ensure what I fictionally know doesn’t reveal their identity,” Miho finished thoughtfully, already nodded.

Ishigami, meanwhile, was not.

“I am very much against this,” he declared. “Involving Mrs. Goto in this investigation is…”

“A brilliant idea,” Miho interrupted.

“Irresponsible,” Ishigami corrected. “A traitor in our midst willing to put the safety of the public and his or her colleagues at risk, in the firing line of the Kurai, is not someone against whom a civilian should be pitted. I should also think Lieutenant Goto would not want his wife put in undue danger.”

“Lieutenant Goto knows better than to tell me what I can and cannot do,” Miho sniffed, then flashed a nasty grin toward Namba. “Flush that son of a bitch in my direction, Chief.”

“Chief Namba,” Ishigami said, as serious as he may have ever been. “I will go on record with my disagreement; Mrs. Goto should not be any further involved in this!”

For a few seconds following the rise of his voice, the two others looked at him a little surprised.

“You don’t want me in danger, I get it,” Miho told him finally, her expression softening a little. “But Seiji can’t come home until the mole is revealed, and this will work. I doubt Chief Namba has a mind to strip me naked, tie a bow around my neck and shout-out to all potential traitors to come have a poke.”

Both men immediately blushed.

Like, fires of hell heat in their cheeks you could see in pitch black.

“For crying out loud, you’re both grown men,” she huffed. “The point is, I’m not signing up to die, but to be very well guarded bait. Do you have people who are above reproach? Kurosawa, surely,” Miho answered, before they could. “He idolises Seiji. There’s no way he would do anything to put him in danger.”

“Soma and Kaga,” Namba put in, though at the last name, Ishigami’s nose wrinkled.

“I’m not so sure about the last,” he declared.

“Leave him out then… Subaru… call Subaru in. He would never let anything happen to me.”

“He may well have a few things to say in opposition,” Ishigami added.

“Then he can stow it too,” Miho huffed. “Chief Namba, will you set this up?”

With only a few seconds hesitation, Namba nodded his assent, and Miho exhaled.

“I’ll wait for your instructions,” she sighed. “Whatever it is you need me to do, I will, don’t question that for a second.”

“I don’t think anyone would dare,” he noted, and there concluded the meeting.

Dun dun duuuun... the final part!

[kamyru]

Do you know what I want to see in more Voltage games?

A strong and independent woman equally as talented as the men from her game.

The only MC like this that I can remember is the one from "Kiss of revenge". She was considered a genius and hard-working doctor, from what I remember.

The women we have in the games that want to show this type to us are less talented than the love interests.

"Irresistible Mistakes" MC is criticized daily. Only by the end of the game has she become a "genius". During the first seasons, she is a "growing star" who is always in the shadow of her man. Rei is a genius when it comes to design. Shun is a national treasure. Toshiaki wins prizes while being the most humble human being. Keita is one of the best in the industry. Toma is the best in the company from the creative department. Natsume, who is the same age as MC and entered at the same time, is a force to be reckoned with, and everyone prizes him in a season more than MC is prized in the entire game.

"Her Love in the Force" MC is a strange case. As a person, I like her a lot. She is pretty, cool and funny. But as a detective, I don't know what to say. She messes up with the basic concepts that have to be known by kids. I still have no idea how she failed the exam about the bombs in Ayumu's route by forgetting about checking her safety first. We, the doctors, who may encounter a dangerous situation once a year, are told every day that the first thing we have to do when saving someone is to assure that we are safe. MC is always in the shadow of the instructors, colleagues, and people. And somehow, Voltage wants to make us think that she is good at what she is doing, but she isn't.

"Romance MD: Always on Call" MC is my no-no. I don't understand why Voltage made her rude and not aware of her surroundings. A person can be naive, weird, nerdy, intelligent, funny, and kind at the same time. In the routes that appeared the last, she is pretty good. Though, I want to say that they could have made her as genial as Kasumi. If she were like him or Sen, her stubbornness would have had a basis. I know that the EICU guys have a very important thing that helped them achieve where they are now, and no, I don't talk about the XY pair in their DNA. I talk about the experience. All of them are genial from the beginning, nearly revolutionary, with scholarships from the best universities and loads of scientific books written even before they enter their residency years. MC isn't bad. And they are not bad. The only thing is that compared to them, she is plain. They were from the start levels above her.

"Oops! I Said Yes?!" it's a mix of RMD and IM MCs. She has talent and works hard, breathing design and architecture. Though, she still isn't at the same level as her men colleagues. Ukyo is a Marty-Sue. Kuranosuke is the best in the company. Kunihiro is the most hard-working person the company has ever had. Shu is the best worker in his department. Eiji is the Cinderella who can do anything. MC works hard too. She has experience too. I would like to see her as the worker who has to marry because that's the only way to obtain a place as an Executive. I want to see other companies head-hunting her.

I like most of the MCs in these games (it depends on the route, though). But drama can be born from the competition, past, future, everywhere. A man doesn't have to be smarter, stronger, richer, and higher in position to be dependable. Make MC genial, astonishing, alluring. I am sick of gray mice. Strong women have drama in their life too. Put them in a field where most workers are men and let the drama begin when they see how good she is, without taking sexual harassment as a joke (HLITF, I'm staring hard at you, and Jun Araki, you too). Let MCs be strong, independent, and in love. It's not impossible. A woman doesn't have to be sillier to be loved by a well-accomplished man.

P.S. Also, I want MORE GIRLS IN STEM FIELDS!

[misszysworld]

I want this drama being CG lmao @aqvarius

Soma kind of (scary😂) ideal Christmas date 😁😂😀

[thesugarace]

Things my bf says that makes me think he’s Kaga in real life (aka Kaga quote hcs 😅)

[Walking up to him when I was half an hour late to our date]

“Someone better fucking died or it will be you”

[About the Anti-mask protests]

“Let them do what they want, it’s not proven that Covid can infect brainless worms”

[Telling him to stop pinching my cheeks]

“I watched that korean crap for you. Better give me a reward or I’ll make you regret making me sit through that shit”

[Accusing him of cheating in Monopoly]

“You got a lot of nerve, you half-witted ostrich”

[About a friend who wont stop annoying him]

“If he yaps at me one more time, I’ll write N.O. on a card and stick it onto his chest with a kitchen knife”

[About my ex who tried to get back with me]

“If he likes looking and shit, he better not even think about you or I’ll donate his freshly-plucked eyeballs to the hospital. I’d feed it to those know-it-all trash piglet interns.”

[Talking to him abt HLITF]

“How many men do you need to satisfy you, you kinky Energizer bunny?”

Bonus (we all need soft whipped Kaga in our lives)

[Pleading with him to watch another Korean drama with me]

“Dont you dare look at another guy like that. That look’s mine.”

[Yours truly trying to casually flex my swimsuit in front of him]

“You’re trying to turn me on, aren’t you?......................Fuck! it’s working” *CUE THE KAGA BLUSHING SPRITE*

[Making up after a fight]

“You’re too good to me.” THIS ONE I SAW KAGA SAYS IN ONE OF HIS SUBSTORIES TOO 🥺

[About us narrowly missing a disaster]

“I’d rather die than let you go through that again”

[After some tumultuous times]

“I’m not letting you go...dont you dare leave me”

Okay the bonus part is really hard because he and Kaga dont really express their affections verbally. My bf does it rarely and most of the times he does, he says smt personal so sorry there’s not much 😞

[camuslittlesister]

Idols, idols and more idols - thoughts on Ryo (Scandal in the Spotlight)

So, this week’s freebie in L365 was Ryo’s route, which brings me to a close of the S1 except I keep mixing up two of the idols and I’m not sure if I read both, or one of them twice and just forgot the route because I’m not the biggest fan of the title. I mostly pick them all up to see Kyohei bickering with Iori. My first one was Nagito, which is probably the worst possible choice for me since I don’t like the friendly flirty types that much (notable exception being SLBP Hideyoshi, but they’re nowhere near the same thing even in Toshiee’s route. I sort of vaguely tolerate that side of Kurosawa because anyone in Her Love in the Force means Ayumu screentime and I think that’s it). Then I read the two I keep mixing up, and that should say enough about how memorable they were 🙈, then Iori (twice 👀 yes, I still claim I dislike the guy, why you ask?) and Kyohei.

I’m one scene in and already ready to slap the MC. I guess the LI being the songwriter she is replacing meant they turned up the volume on the huge insecurity she keeps displaying in all routes. I am aware the situation she is in is new, and that her inability to write the song is the main driver of the romance, but she is in this situation because she has a dream she is trying to protect, and the way she acts when they ask things of her is something I can’t square with the drive to pursue her ambition at all costs. It’s not like Voltage hasn’t written titles with ambitious MCs around the years this title first came out, or that insecure MCs are always bad (it works for Kings of Paradise, it would have worked in After School Affairs if they went in that direction since a lot of those routes are around how she isn’t as good a teacher as the LI is...).

I just feel that this title would have benefitted from a MC like in ASA or Irresistible Mistakes, even HLITF and a bunch of others who faced challenges head on and just went to do their research and upskilled either by themselves or with the guy (whichever suited the story). I understand the need to diversify the MCs, but plenty of titles suit a more insecure woman than this one. Or, at the very least, make her insecure without being annoyingly clueless like that. It’s a hill I’m willing to die on.

I feel kinda bad for Ryo in his first appearance and can’t bring myself to blame him, so I think it’ll be interesting to see where this goes. I’m also enjoying the nicest Iori has ever been in anyone’s route. If this was the personality he had in his route he’d be husbando material. Too bad 😪 anyway, after the first meeting with Ryo she seems to find the drive I was talking about and the multiple choice options reflect that, so I’m satisfied even though it feels like they swapped MC half way through the chapter...also Ryo is would date in real life material so far, and I’m loving the sudden inspiration for the theme of the song 😏

{Sort of unrelated but “All the carbs give me a big boost of energy” HOW? A holiday in Italy for me is one long food coma and sleepiness that requires a minimum of one espresso every hour not to yawn all the time 😬 2D boys have a biology of their own, I swear...looking at you and your sugar addiction, Onii-san}

{I very much ship these two but also hi Iori here’s a marriage license and here’s a pen, I need you to sign this real quick 👀 no, seriously, who’s this version of Iori? Did they get him out of the Mad Hatter’s hat? This is all I can think about as I read this story...}

In the end, I feel like they once again resolved the drama too quickly after a whole route of sweet nothings happening, but pacing aside it was a good story. I can buy the romance since she likely had a crush on him as Makoto anyway, so the fact Iori is there all the time but not really a rival is believable enough. I really liked how she fell in love through his art as well, it was such a nice touch as a huge music fan myself (even if it’s not that common to see real feelings translated into song, or maybe because of it. It makes Ryo really precious). I think he’s my favourite LI in the title, maybe tied with Kyohei. I might one day buy his S2 onwards (and atm I only own S2 and beyond for HLITF so it’s a huge endorsement).

[voltage-vixen]

Is there an MC you want to protect from all the horrors of the world haha?

Hey!

The ones that stand out to me are the MCs from SCM, SITS, HLITF, & KoP.

Even though the MC from SCM has been known to occasionally tap into the powers she held in her previous life, often she has the unfair advantage in scenarios.  Now this varies on which of the routes you are reading, but despite the fact that she’s a human, she’s been punished on behalf of her own god’s mistakes, forced to fight against evil gods, and even has to risk her own life to save the earth. I’m all for drama and a thrilling plot line, but I just want to hug her and scream at the writers to “give her a break” at times!

The MC from HLITF has to be one of the most determined ones I’ve seen, and despite everything, she somehow always manages to keep a positive attitude. Depending on which instructor’s story you are reading, she’s gone through everything from some of the instructors being abrasive, to being picked on by her fellow classmates. She’s so sweet and kind, and always tries to give others the benefit of the doubt. This MC is another one I want to hug, because I would have probably ran away crying a long time ago, and she just keeps at it!

I love SITS, but that poor MC has gone through a lot! Dating a pop star is certainly no easy task, and she really gets put through the ringer at times. I admire her for how loyal she is to her guy, because between all the drama she goes through, I’m not so sure I personally would be able to stick around. She’s another character where I just sometimes want her to catch a break!

The MC from KoP, because she just happened to be married to the most unlikable Voltage character (at least in my opinion). Also, because it breaks my heart that Taki left her the way he did that night at the firework show. I mean, I get that he thought she had betrayed him, but you don’t just throw away such a meaningful relationship like that! You just don’t! Had he not done that, they probably would have ended up getting married, and the MC would have been spared that horrible heartbreak. I have such strong feelings about this, I want to reach through my screen during the game and pat her on the head.

[somewhatunconscious]

Her Love in The Force Fanfic on Wattpad this week.

What’s New on Otome World on Wattpad?

Her Love in the Force Fanfic Season 1 Number One on Wattpad Category for Her Love In The Force, HLITF, Metro PD Close to You, and Number 3 on Police Drama that is ❤️

[sterkeyra]

Look at Momo's sad face

You made Momo sad hahaha MC herself is upset that he talks so bluntly when he should say sweet nothings like Goto, yet that's what she comes up with xD

Always dragging your lovely colleague into the fray. The poor guy probably already felt bad because his nose is hypersensitive and he had to bear with the stench the whole time they had to search for evidence in the garbage and now he gets shooed away by his beloved boss. Which surprised me as well, because Tsugaru probably eats a lot of stinky stuff too haha

Also not me getting ideas for a branching Momo route when he said that.

Do they have separate shower rooms for men and women? They did not have them in the academy at least? If they do not, I can see them bickering the entire time in their separate shower cabins - blaming each other for taking too long in the garbage xD Until...

Anyways I would really feel bad for Momos girlfriend. I want to meet her so badly. How is she like? How does she support Momos devotion for Tsugaru? Is she a Tsugaru fan too? So many questions

[hotcocosharing]

Lose To Win Chapter 27: Our Time Will Come

Title: Lose To Win Chapter 27 Fandom: Kiss By The Baddest Bidder & Her Love In The Force Rated: Drama, Thriller, Angst, Fluff, Smut, Mystery? MPD’s OC: Mika HIJIKATA KBTBB’s OC: Mia SAKATA Characters: Goto, Kaga, Shuichi, Eisuke, Soryu, Mamoru, Baba, Ota

Summary: 1. Soryu, Mika & Kaga had threesome, (here) 2. Soryu got shot, Kaga left him to bleed (to death, sort of) 3. Soryu was operated by Dr. Edwards (suspicious Dr working for a mysterious boss) and Luke in Esiuke’s suite 4. Eisuke confronted his father after the auction and returned to his suite to find his woman (Mia) lying dead in bed 5. Only it’s all Mia’s PLAN for stopping Eisuke from getting involved in more troubles but she has missed out the great details to Luke- SHE’S PREGNANT! 6. Next game is here- Time to solve a murder

Tagging: adrienneloves so you’d know what happens to Soryu and Mika.  111archravenue , silver-red-rose , lxvescramble & hifftnwho’ve always been here for me :’( Thank you!  tsuki-tsundere who’s the reader character of Chiyo

Background: Mika went to the Tres Spades Hotel under Eisuke’s request. (Order) and led to seeing her ex- Hyogo Kaga. With Jin Namba’s persuasion, Eisuke agrees to work with Public Safety, going on an eight days cruise trip with Kaga, Goto and Mika. What kind of mystery and danger await? You have no idea!

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Chapter 1: The Reunion  Chapter 2: RSVP Chapter 3: Recharge Chapter 4: Welcome Back Chapter 5: Decision Of A Lifetime Chapter 6: Our Story Chapter 7: Stress Release Chapter 8: Play Thing Chapter 9: What The Three Words Mean Chapter 10: A Real Man Chapter 11: The CEO Chapter 12: Boarding Chapter 13: What Did You Wish For? Chapter 14: Don’t Tease Me Chapter 15: One Hell Of A Night Chapter 16: Feeling Lucky? Chapter 17: Left In The Past  Chapter 18: Poker Face Chapter 19: To Victory Chapter 20: Wish Comes True Chapter 21: Last Apology Chapter 22: Can You Handle It? Chapter 23: All The Help She’d Get    Chapter 24: Nice To See You Too Chapter 25:  Fear VS Regret  

Chapter 26: There isn’t time

Chapter 27: Our Time Will Come

Chiyoko's World The slow shaking of Chiyoko's head does nothing more than display how disgusted and totally "amazed" at how one could create such mess but the tingling jealousy which almost consumes her real intention of being here in the first place is rather alarming. "I don't care who or how many men or women you do it with," she pauses, clearing her throat before continuing her lies- of course, she cares when her subordinate is doing her boy toy! Not that Hikaru means anything but she simply doesn't like her toy playing with someone else. "At least keep it clean, the room reeks of..... sex!"

A mischievous grin appears on Star's face as she closes the door, "I don't think housekeeping would like what they find in my room." Chiyoko follows the blonde's gazes and lets out an annoyed sigh when she sees the guns and torturing tools lying all over the floor. "Plus I'll be keeping my eyes on the screens these days so I won't have time left for other business." It only makes Chiyoko's eyes roll further before focusing back on what they are really here for.

Behind every successful man, there is a woman. Chiyoko Yamasaki takes pride in being that, the perfect wife standing proudly next to the perfect husband- Akihiro Saji, the 4th generation of The Sajias corporation, one of the very few decent men among the rich and powerful. She could never forget how easy it is to approach him, his family's another story but she has had Akihiro in the palm of her hand. Quietly supporting him, doing whatever needs to be done. She doesn't mind the credits going to him, to the world, he's a model example of the man who could have it all. The truth is only known to few people and if you repeat enough times, the lies would eventually become the ultimate truth.

Akihiro's intrigued with her ideas of fun and games when she proposed him the itineraries of the cruise. With how well this trip is going, Chiyoko makes no attempt to hide the curl on her lips. She signs approvingly and stands in front of the multiple screens, playing the hem of her silky red dress which brings out her chocolate brown hair, and deep brown eyes. Once Star has finished setting up, Chiyoko takes one last look at the data pad that holds the guest list, there's only one that she's really after- Eisuke Ichinomiya.

Eisuke's World

Itch- that's the word that comes to his mind, something is off with the unshakable feeling all over his body. Perhaps he hasn't had his coffee yet, a proper decent one by Mia instead of whatever filth Baba has been making. Fingers impatiently tapping on his smartphone, the multi-billionaire is tempted to send another text to Luke who obviously never bothers with technology. "Which floor is that female doctor's office?" The twisted grin and voluntarily offer to visit only means Ota has some kind of sick bond with the doctor that Eisuke has absolutely no interest in knowing but the walk to her office does sound too much of a hassle, now he misses that pager- one easy flick and she will come running and panting, at his disposal with no questions asked. 

Waking up without her by his side is unusual since he normally wakes before her, and not knowing completely what's going on is eating him up a bit but then he has bigger problems on hands. Mia could wait and she will return, eventually, how long would those tests take anyway? 

"I want my woman back now, Luke and learn to use the phone!"

Once the text is sent, Eisuke sits and pounders, eyes on the metallic black invitation lying on the glass table. A party to die for- whoever is behind this seriously has got under the King's skin, much more than he intended to admit. This isn't what he signs up for though he has clearly underestimated how out of hand one cruise trip could get- he's been winning all his life until Mia is nearly lost again. His entire reason to even begin this ridiculous cooperation is to find his father, demanding the truth- the one thing Eisuke naively believes his father could at least do for him but who is he kidding?! The man left his children, he was no longer the loving father Eisuke once remembered. His stubbornness has almost cost Mia's life, for the second time.

Not in the mood to lose or continue with these sick jokes and games, Eisuke Ichinomiya cannot wait to crush them in their next "party", the only dead body shall be the mastermind behind this fiesta.

Moments later.... Mika’s World

"Oh, Cluedo is my favorite broad game." 

"No one asks, old man." The devil angelic face smirks but soon rolls his eyes when he spots the pout from Baba. "Snap out of it. You're far too old to play cute."

A team of six arrive is led to a double door, Baba swings open excitedly and a tall figure with a hand raised in the air comes to sight.

"Freeze!" 

You hear Mamoru calls instinctively while your eyes travel down to the floor with a lifeless body lying face down before any of you could take a step further, a loud siren rings and a mental cage rolls down from the high ceiling, trapping the man in captive who slowly turns around as he lowers the crowbar in hand, his expressionless face meets the rest of your shocked ones. "Boss?!"

"Welcome everyone." 

The computerized voice announcement sends more chill than excitement to each person in the large room- one that no one has the luxury to look around but time is all they have.

"Your mission tonight is to solve the murder of Mr. Shigeru Kikushima, CEO of Kikushima Group. Everything you need is in this room, let the game begin."

No explanation is given about Eisuke Ichinomiya's presence before the others but his "planned" imprisonment obviously implies proofing one CEO's innocence along with solving the mysterious "death" of another. 

A set of cold dark eyes peers into the screen and studies closely- Mitsunari Baba, Ota Kisaki, Mamoru Kishi, Hyogo Kaga, Seiji Goto, Mika Hijikata and of course, Eisuke Ichinomiya. How disappointingly naïve of him to believe that he could fool around with their fake credentials, though, for law enforcement, they are fairly good actors. Their history and intention bore the mastermind- Chiyoko Hanasaki is only interested in one person and one person only- Eisuke Ichinomiya. 

"It's okay," The woman grins, her fingers gently brushing the screen and follow the outline of his unreadable face, "our time will come soon, Eisuke. Very soon."

NOTES: Let my challenge begin- solving a murder, proving Eisuke’s innocence- wait perhaps I don’t want to prove it, he could rot right there XD

[aqvarius]

I'm a different anon, but I agree! I also want to see mc really hurt.. ok that sounds kinda wrong.. but for the plot! and for the angst! and for the LI's reaction! It also makes me feel really proud when you see how she's improved on things :,)

I AGREE WITH ALL OF THIS HAHAHA I love the angst. every time mc blacks out in any route I just become filled with so much glee. when soma cried over her limp body I thought I was gonna explode from joy. when kaga was so torn up over her being shot my heart pounded. I'm very sad that they didn't show us shinonome's reaction in the moment when she sacrificed herself for him in a certain route. it's great cause literally every single instructor is SO COMPOSED ALL THE TIME so I love seeing them flip out over mc. let mc suffer for the LI to feel pain 2019

[whatdoyouexpectthistime]

MJS Aftermath - SIX FEET Part 2

Both Ishigami and Kaga were more than excited to see the figure on the other side of the door, leaping at him with reckless abandon, but Miho slumped against the door frame. Jazz appeared behind her, biting her lip as Subaru fought the puppies off to wrap Miho in a tight embrace.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered into her hair, shoving the foil covered casserole he had in one hand at Jazz.

This time, Miho didn’t cry, even if Subaru did.

“It doesn’t have coriander in it, does it?”

“You love coriander!” he attempted to joke, but the look on Jazz’s face told him he’d made a terrible blunder.

“No,” Miho disagreed quietly. “That’s Seiji.”

“Oh,” Subaru dropped, cringing a second but he had a smile affixed when he finally brought Miho to arm’s length.

“It’s fine,” she smiled back. “Everyone’s in a bit of a tizzy at the moment.”

“Except you,” he noted a little quizzically. “The very picture of calm and collected.”

“How many times has he nearly died?” she asked, turning and heading into the living area with the pups on her heels. “Every other week, really, right?”

Glancing sideways at Jazz, Subaru followed, shrugging awkwardly. It was clear to Jazz that Subaru didn’t have the words, not to comfort Miho, or himself. True, Subaru and Goto always bickered, but their actions had proven time and time again they were best friends.

“Tea? Coffee?” Miho chirped, obviously attempting to change Subaru’s grim expression.

“Yeah,” he answered ambiguously, scrutinising the house’s interior as he trailed Miho and Jazz into the kitchen.

“Yeah what?”

“What happened here?” he replied, only looking more confused. “This place is spotless.”

Another blunder for anyone who knew Goto was a bit on the untidy side.

“Are you suggesting my home is usually a mess?” Miho sniffed.

“Well, no,” he stumbled. “But there’s clean, and then there’s I could eat off the tiles clean.”

“We’ve been keeping busy,” Jazz clarified.

“Because work isn’t enough to keep us occupied apparently,” Miho dropped sarcastically.

“Should you even be wandering around?” he then asked of Jazz, who while obviously pregnant did not seem to be in any discomfort.

“Being pregnant isn’t a disability, you know,” she grunted, then dropped her voice. “Unlike being an idiot.”

“I heard that,” Subaru grated sourly, but his brows lifted when Miho let out a chuckle.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think this comedy routine was for me.”

Both her friends fell silent.

“Oh, cut it out will you?” she huffed, throwing up her hands in annoyance. “Come on, Subaru, you’ve known Seiji far longer than me, so you should know this is bullshit.”

“Um…” he squirmed. “I’ve seen the evidence, Miho, the forensics…”

“Yeah?” she snorted. “You know who saw the evidence for Daisetsu’s ‘death’? The forensics? I did, and we all know how that ended.”

Knowingly, and not very discreetly, Jazz rolled her eyes to Subaru.

“Cut that out,” Miho snapped. “He’s not dead, and that’s all there is to it.”

She left them both standing in the kitchen a little bewildered by her curtness, but Jazz eventually let out a heavy sigh.

“I tried to talk to her about funeral arrangements, but she just shuts me down,” she explained solemnly. “I get where she is coming from, what with Daisetsu’s faked death, but if Captain Ishigami and the whole of Public Safety is sure, then…”

Helplessly, she shrugged.

“She doesn’t want me to comfort her,” she exhaled, her eyes misting over a little, and Subaru drew closer. “I don’t know how to comfort her, and I’ve always known.”

“We just be here,” he said, offering his arms and an awkward but honest hug. “So, when she figures out what she needs, we can be there to give it.”

People came and went, but it was the arrival of Goto’s parents and brother that complicated the situation more. Under any other circumstance, the presence of family might have brought some solace, but Miho was… as Miho was – forward about her opinion.

“I’m not interested in burying an empty casket,” she declared stubbornly.

Haruka looked tearily helpless.

Shinichi scowled.

Issei became angry.

“I thought you loved him!” he barked, and Miho’s face darkened in response.

“I love him, present tense,” she snapped. “And it’s because I love him, know him, trust him, that I can’t and won’t believe he’d be stupid enough to get killed.”

“But Miho,” Shinichi beseeched, and in an unusual sign of physical affection he attempted to hug her.

Miho dodged.

“No, Dad,” she argued.

“You’ve always known his work was dangerous,” Shinichi continued, his tone settling back into something gruffer. “As much as we might want this not to be true, there are things beyond our control, beyond Seiji’s control.”

“You go,” Miho told them, nodding emphatically. “I understand. If you believe this, then you need to find closure, but I will not put another box in the ground.”

The door slammed, Kaga and Ishigami lucky to scoot through with tails intact.

In the bedroom, Miho paced back and forth until her eyes came to rest on the pinstripe suit laid out across the grey duvet.

Haruka had picked it out. Even though there wasn’t a body as such to put in it, she’d felt it symbolic of his professionalism, of his nature, and an important part of letting him go. Kaga and Ishigami, however, thought the suit made perfect bedding, and curled up together to watch their mother scowl.

“What the hell, Miho?” Issei charged, bursting into the room. “Where do you get off talking to Mum like that?”

His eyes were red – he had been crying, but now he was just angry.

“You think you’re hurting? What about us?” he snapped, spittle peppering the air between them.

“He’s not dead, Issei!” Miho shouted, right into his face, then pointed at Goto’s suit. “It’s empty, you see that? EMPTY.”

“Because what’s left of him is locked up in a mortuary!” Issei fired back, not backing down – but that only drew him into striking range.

Redder still, Issei looked absolutely shocked with Miho’s palm print emblazoned across his left cheek.

“Your brother would be heartbroken you’ve so little faith in him,” she hissed, her eyes wild and her tone low, seething. “Go pick a casket, choose music and scripture and flowers to lay at a hollow grave, but do not think for a moment I will partake in such a farce.”

She moved so quickly her puppies didn’t have a chance to catch up. Bursting from the bedroom, she stalked to the front door past a bewildered Shinichi and Haruka and snatched her jacket.

After stomping several blocks, Miho hailed a taxi, glad she left emergency money secured in the inside pocket of her coat. It was enough to get her to Station, where Agasa raised an eyebrow at her in recognition. The death of a police officer, regardless of what department they belonged to, did not remain a secret for very long, and though Agasa might have seen Goto and Miho only a handful of times – if that – Second Unit had raised more than a few glasses in honour of a fallen comrade and a good man.

“Mrs. Goto,” he greeted softly, as Miho sat herself down on a stool at the bar. “What can I get you?”

“Enough whiskey to make it all go away,” she replied, not questioning how he knew her, just tapping the bar with her fingertips expectantly.

Agasa knew well enough when to argue with a customer and when to let them drink. At least if she was there, he could keep an eye on her, call in backup if things got a bit too ugly. He placed the bottle down beside her, though it was only a third full, then a glass.

“Don’t go too overboard,” he warned her softly, and in response she grunted and poured for herself.

As she drank, she muttered, but she was not looking for a response from Agasa or those who came and went.

“Shouldn’t have done that,” she murmured, shaking her head.

Hitting Issei like that – she knew she’d done a bad thing and would have to apologise.

“How can I convince them?” she sighed, staring into her glass but quickly turning her head when she sensed a presence close behind her.

“Convince who of what, Princess?” Baba enquired in his usual happy tone.

“You know what,” she replied dryly, taking another sip as he sat down beside her. “You know everything.”

“It is true I know a lot of things,” he smiled, waving to Agasa before pointing at Miho’s glass. “Not quite everything, though.”

Working with Baba at the agency had proven both a blessing and a curse at times. He had this infuriating way of being jovial no matter what happened, this ability to see the upside in even the darkest of situations. It could be both uplifting and excruciating at the same time. There was also the fact that he had made himself available on and off through Miho’s single years as a physical comfort: the best kind of friend with benefits.

“What are you doing here?” she asked him, still not looking into his face.

She wasn’t sure she could stand to see the sparkle in his eyes or the playfulness on his lips.

“You know this is a police bar, right?” she added.

Baba shrugged.

“I don’t know why I should be concerned,” he smirked. “I’m a law-abiding citizen; besides, I don’t think Detective Ayase meets the height requirement to get in.”

Miho might have snorted, but the air in her lungs was lethargic, morose.

“Come on, Princess,” he crooned, giving her arm a gentle nudge with his, as Agasa put a tumbler down in front of him. “I tracked you down because I thought you’d have given me a call by now.”

“I’ve been a little preoccupied,” she pointed out, emptying her glass and pouring herself another, then one for Baba.

“Yes, yes, funerals – so many little details to plan for,” he agreed, one hand moving in an animated way as he spoke. “Eulogies and floral arrangements and boxes for burial.”

Now, Miho looked at him, her eyes narrowed. But she said nothing, studying him, searching him. What he said was not meant to hurt her; no, he was teasing her because…

“Tell me,” she demanded in a cold hiss, turning her body to his. “Tell me I’m right.”

“Right about?” he poked, obviously enjoying the little game, pushing her because he indeed knew her well enough he knew her limits.

“I will fucking deck you, Mitsunari,” she growled, leaning forward and baring her teeth. “Tell me I am right. He isn’t dead.”

“Hot damn, you’re sexy when you get angry,” he grinned. “You really ought to wear more leather.”

Limit.

He probably could have dodged, but he didn’t, so when Miho grabbed him by the tie and dragged him off his barstool, he slid off easily.

“Riding crop, too,” Baba added, allowing himself to be dragged to a booth and shoved into it.

“Cut the shit,” she hissed, dropping in opposite him. “Playtime is over.”

“A little birdy told me something fascinating,” he admitted finally, triumphant. “Did you know that DNA identification of burnt bone can be pretty reliable?”

Eyes sharp, Miho brain raced ahead to find Baba’s point before he voiced it.

“In extremely bad cases though, if someone was to use, say, white phosphorus or thermite, for example, bones don’t leave much at all – no nuclear DNA – and even mitochondrial profiles are sporadic in their reliability at best.”

“The gang he infiltrated had access to thermite and white phosphorus?” Miho blinked.

Of course, she knew Public Safety worked dangerous cases chasing really dangerous people, but for criminals to have and use dangerous chemicals like those put a whole new perspective on it.

“Maybe,” Baba mused noncommittally, “but I think the point is more that it’s highly unlikely any remains burned to that extent could be positively identified.”

Miho licked her lips.

She knew better than to ask about Baba’s sources, and knew through experience – even if she didn’t know how – that his information was always accurate.

“Captain Ishigami wouldn’t, he wouldn’t tell me it’s him if he wasn’t sure,” she exhaled to herself. “He wouldn’t accept the death of a subordinate if there was any doubt.”

“You know the guy that well?” Baba posed. “I mean, these Public Safety guys lie for a living, right?”

“To me? About that?” Miho wondered, her throat dry.

Trembling hands took her mobile phone from her pocket.

“That I don’t know the answer to,” he admitted, leaning a little closer to see what Miho was texting. “Going straight to the top, huh?”

“No, Namba’s out of town,” Miho murmured, as she fired off her text message to Liana, “but Captain Ishigami will do.”

“I wouldn’t want to be him,” Baba smirked swirling the drink he hadn’t touched yet. “You have a plan?”

“Yeah,” Miho rumbled, slipping from the barstool and throwing a fist full of money for her drinks on the counter. “I’m going to get really, really angry.”

Rationality still existed, Miho felt it tugging her in the opposite direction to her destination, but she ignored it. Her rage was a blaze bringing warmth back to the numbness of her flesh, and she allowed it to fill her to overflowing before she arrived at the restaurant Liana had unwittingly revealed as the location of Miho’s target.

“Miho?” Liana blinked, as Miho stalked between the tables – definitely a woman on a mission.

“Mrs. Goto,” Ishigami added, seeming surprised but quick to rise to his feet. “Are you alright?”

“Out of respect for our friendship and your personal and professional relationship with Seiji,” Miho began, her tone an ice-pick: cold, pointed, “I’m going to give you the opportunity to step out with me and have this conversation.”

Understandably, Ishigami looked surprised, but Liana appeared downright shocked and both their mouths hung open too long for Miho’s liking.

“Very well,” Miho grunted. “Explain the conviction you have Seiji is dead, when the extreme heat you’ve admitted rendered the remains you found to nothing but bones?”

People looked in the direction of the standing pair as they remained facing one another, though the volume of their voices was not especially loud.

“I’m no scientist, Captain,” Miho went on to fill the void once more, “or a weapon’s expert, but to reach the kind of temperatures needed to reduce human bone to the condition you found them in, in an open space like that warehouse, you’d need some seriously restricted firepower.”

“Where did you get this idea from?” Ishigami asked finally, his expression a good approximation of concerned.

“You mean, how do I know you grossly overstated the certainty of my husband’s death?” she snapped, the crack of a whip that silenced everything else in the restaurant.

“Miho,” Liana whispered, reaching for her hand, but Miho yanked it away.

“Look into his eyes, Liana,” Miho growled, pointing into Ishigami’s face. “Imagine Seiji is telling you your husband is dead, all the while you’re holding evidence it isn’t true in your hand.”

“I know this is very difficult for you,” Ishigami attempted, watching the maitre’d cautiously approach in his peripheral vision. “No one wants Lieut..”

“I am his WIFE!” she roared, and people at nearby tables flinched at the violence of her retort, the rawness of her emotion. “Difficult is an understatement I will not bear when you know he’s alive.”

“Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you t…” the maitre’d interrupted, but the freeze of his jaw when Miho’s eyes fell upon him made it clear he saw death in them.

“Tell me where he is,” Miho demanded on little more than a breath, an imperative she exhaled into Ishigami’s face. “Give me the truth.”

“I can see, Mrs. Goto, the truth is too much for you at present,” Ishigami said evenly, but Liana saw him adjust his glasses – noted and filed it. “Grief is…”

“I will not mourn the living,” Miho snarled, blind to the much larger man who had come to back the maitre’d.

“Ma’am,” came a firmer, warning voice.

Miho tilted her head in some form of acknowledgement but maintained eye contact with Ishigami.

“I will never forget this pain,” she hissed, gaze like razor-wire. “And I will never forget your part in it.”

Before she could be manhandled out of the restaurant, Miho turned on her heels and strode out, to bystanders a vengeful force of wrathful energy.

(GUEST WRITER @BelXsar! Scene RPed)

There was a full moment of silence, then another, and another, before the interior of the restaurant finally started to return to its former activity before the human whirlwind that was Miho Fujisawa Goto had blown in and then just as dramatically swept out.  The restaurant staff resumed their former duties, and the other patrons’ gazes went back to their dining companions, while Liana studied her husband with hers, even as he just as studiously avoided it. They had just been contemplating what to have for dessert when Miho had arrived, but it was clear that any appetite for sweets had vanished just as abruptly.  With a sidelong glance towards the discarded dessert menus lying on the table, Captain Hideki Ishigami emptied his water glass, then signalled their waiter and coolly asked for the cheque. The bill paid, he got up, and his wife followed him out of the restaurant.

His hand reached out for hers on the street outside, and Liana took it, noting his grasp was on the cool side as usual but his grip a bit tighter.  They strode silently, hand in hand, to where their car was parked, and he opened the door for her before sliding into the driver’s seat. As the car pulled into traffic, he still had yet to meet his wife’s gaze which had remained mostly fixed on him all the while.

On the silent drive home, Liana pulled out her phone and tapped a quick text to Jazz Mann Akiwa, hoping their shared friend would update her on what was going on when clearly her husband had no desire to do so.

Ishigami remained silent even as they arrived home.  It was after they entered their flat, taken off their shoes, hung up their coats, and he seemed to be heading towards the bathroom, that Liana finally quickened her stride and cut in front of her husband, putting her hand against the wall to block his path.

Enough was enough.

She had given him the appropriate discretion while they had been in public, despite the maelstrom of questions running through her mind. Now, in the privacy of their own home, she could remain silent no longer.

“Hideki,” she said quietly, softly, yet no less firmly.  “What is going on?”

Her dark blue eyes sought out his grey ones, intent.

His hand was half-way to his glasses before he actually stopped himself.

“I thought perhaps I would take a shower,” he explained, as if as much was obvious. “I have an early meeting tomorrow and will not have time in the morning.”

If he knew what she was actually getting at – and the man wasn’t a moron, so he knew – there was not a single hint of it in his expression.

Liana tilted her head slightly and gave him a look, one eyebrow raised.  “Please don’t insult me, and I won’t return the favor. You know very well what I mean.”

With practised zen, Ishigami’s expression didn’t so much as twitch; still, when he spoke again, there was at least a little emotion in his tone.

“It is understandable Mrs. Goto would not wish to believe Lieutenant Goto is gone,” he explained, “and regrettable her desire seems to have manifested so strongly. You are right to be concerned; I shall organise for a counsellor to touch base with her tomorrow.”

Liana’s eyebrows drew together a little.  “As passionate as Miho can be, she’s not a woman prone to hysterics.  And I think you appreciate that, Hideki. This is not just a grieving widow deep in denial and going off the deep end.  She said something about extreme heat, and remains being reduced to nothing. Which you didn’t deny. You’re deflecting. Whatever it is, I think Miho has proven in the past she can handle it, any truth, rather than a bunch of lies. As Lieutenant Goto’s wife, she deserves that much, at least.”

Responding seemed a little difficult for Ishigami – not because he didn’t know what to say, but because saying it to his inquisitive wife would not be easy.

“You know I cannot discuss an ongoing investigation,” he told her gently, his brows lowering just a little bit.

He wasn’t without empathy.

“Doing so could put further lives at risk, and that is the very reason rules and protocols exist.”

“Then she’s not wrong.”

Liana’s words were murmured to herself as much as her reticent husband, said in confirmation more than any triumph.  She looked back up at Ishigami. “You don’t have to tell her any details. But can’t you at least indicate you’re still just trying to confirm the identification of the remains, and that it’s still an ‘ongoing investigation’?  If you tell her to keep things to herself, she will. She understands the importance of discretion, as much for her husband’s safety as the case itself. Just don’t add to her trauma, Hideki. You know she’s not someone you want on the warpath against you, and that’s what’s going to happen if you keep lying to her and suggesting she’s crazy.”

His wife calling him a liar was something he knew he just had to weather. Despite his absolute devotion to the job, it hurt no less.

“I do not believe she is crazy,” he said carefully. “Grief takes a great many forms and denial can be a natural part of the mourning process.”

This wasn’t anything Liana didn’t already know.

“If I lost you,” he continued, hazarding to raise his hand toward her cheek, “I would not wish to believe it, either; I would do anything to undo it… But I cannot give this to Mrs. Goto, or to you, no matter how much we both want to alleviate her suffering.”

She looked down for a moment, shaking her head briefly before taking a breath and looking back up at her husband.

“Things don’t always have to be zero sum, you know.  I believe rules exist for the spirit of such protocol rather that the strict letter of them.  You don’t want to compromise an ongoing investigation, I understand that. So does Miho. But in this case, especially for her — and I’m not just saying that because she’s my friend; I think she’s proven herself in situations like this –, I think you can maintain the integrity of the investigation while not having to deceive her at the same time.  Rules are a dead and static thing, made by humans to serve the needs of a situation. And by the same token, situations can change, and so we can be flexible to adapt while remaining true to overall protocol. It’s not ‘either or’ in this case, Hideki, you must be able to see that. Things need not be robotic; in fact, I think something as dynamic as a complicated investigation is best served by anything but.”

Her look was beseeching as much as it was resolute.  She wanted, needed, him to understand that there was more than one alternative, and indeed, a better one existed than what dead, strict rules dictated.

His hand had reached her cheek, his thumb had been lightly grazing the skin as she spoke, but the moment she’d mentioned his way was ‘robotic’, his arm sank back to his side.

“You are operating under the assumption I do not know how to effectively perform my job,” he stated, and indeed, this time he sounded more mechanical, “that I am intentionally wounding Mrs. Goto. Please do not forget our duty is not without risk – risk Lieutenant Goto has always accepted as a necessary evil in the pursuit of people who want to destroy our way of life (writes a presidential speech). Lieutenant Goto’s death will not be in vain provided the integrity of this investigation is not compromised, and in time, Mrs. Goto’s pain will diminish.”

His stoic mask was now firmly affixed, a sure sign to his wife he had been affronted. It was rare he showed anger, whether he felt it or not; it was far more common for him to shut down.

Which is what he did – and before she could speak again he had stepped away.

“I am going to take a shower now,” he asserted.

“Is that part of the fake eulogy you’re going to give?” she threw at his retreating back before she could stop herself, her sarcastic side finding voice in her frustration.

She almost wanted to throw something at the firmly closing bathroom door, but knew it would accomplish nothing but a momentary childish satisfaction of noise to punctuate her ire.  She thought she understood her husband enough to get beyond the “cyborg” persona his colleagues often referred to him as, but now she wondered how much she was really able to understand him in the dire situations when she felt she should most.

She bit her lip, and after only a moment’s thought, grabbed her phone to text a quick thanks to Jazz for what she was able to surmise by now.  She followed this with a quick text to Miho:

“I believe you.  I’m sorry about him.”

Liana didn’t want to go more into it than that, over what was really essentially not that secure a channel.  She hoped her friend understood the “him” was her infuriatingly stubborn husband.

Liana stood halfway between the hallway and her bedroom, wondering whether she should get ready for bed or go to Miho to apologize to and try to comfort, and help, her friend.  She doubted if she would get much further with Hideki tonight, though a tenacious part of her wanted to try, as well as to make him understand she was not against him, but trying to help him as well as her friend and Lieutenant Goto.  Or if it would be more helpful to the situation as a whole to go to discuss things over with her friend. A chime from her phone alerting her to an incoming text helped make up her mind.

“I’m going to need more ice cream.”

It was Jazz, and no doubt Miho had chowed her way through all available potential sources to cool her ire.

“Will hijack an ice cream van and be right over. Preferences?”

“Surprise me.”

PART THREE

[kamyru]

more hlitf stories about bringing their child to work? like kurosawa, chiba, momose or tsugaru?

Hi! Thank you for your ask! I adore writing domestic/family bliss. It made me so happy to write this one too. So, if you have more fluff requests, you can send them to me. I also have an idea about Kaga's and Ishigami's kids. Tell me, if you're interested.

Public Safety detectives bringing their child(ren) to work: Takaomi Tsugaru & Takeru Momose

Ayumu Shinonome version

Hideki Ishigami & Hyogo Kaga version

Seiji Goto version

Word counting: 1300

A knock on the door made the Chief Tsugaru put away the documents and look at the person who entered. His smiling wife made her way toward him. Instead of stopping in front of the desk, she rounded it and leaned against the wall. Tsugaru turned to her with a pout on his face.

"What personal matter questions do you have during work hours?" he asked his wife while fake rolling his eyes.

"Guess who will come to visit you!" MC continued, more cheerfully than needed. She started to caress her husband's messy hair.

"As if I don't see her every day at home. Tell this traitor to go to her boyfriend, not me!"

MC let out a hearty laugh that made her husband smile while leaning into her soft hand. The moment was interrupted by a knock on the door. Tsugaru's "former" best friend, now "rival" entered the office.

"I don't want to talk with you today or tomorrow, or the entire month," Tsugaru returned to his pout and irrational anger.

"Good thing that only for a month. Knowing the kids, in a few years, they'll want to marry. We will have to prepare the ceremony together," Momose teased a friend with a mischievous grin on his face.

Looking at him, MC remembered how he used to be like this with her. Who could have thought that Tsugaru would be at the receiving end of Momose's famous teasing glare?

Before Tsugaru became even more absurd, Momose put a file on his desk. MC didn't need to be told what to do to know it was high time to leave the men alone.

"Don't forget what I told you!" she said and left the office.

In less than half an hour, MC's words turned into reality, and her sixteen-year-old daughter made her appearance. Poor Kaga, who passed by, had to find a way to remain steady when the unruly Hare jumped on his back. He had always had a soft spot for Tsugaru's Baby Hare. Yet, he had no idea how to tell her that he wasn't as young as in the past, just like she wasn't small and light. So, the man was bearing the consequences of his kind heart while hoping that the girl would get tired of her habit before his back followed Namba's.

"I heard that you have a boyfriend now. I'm not sure that he will be happy to see you doing this," Kaga tried his luck.

"He will laugh while looking at the scene from a safe distance."

Usagi let herself slide back to the ground and patted Kaga's shoulders in a bad attempt to rearrange the wrinkles she had made.

"I see that dad already complained to everyone that I don't love him anymore," Baby Hare commented while going to her mother's desk.

After exchanging a few phrases with her mom, Usagi wanted to go to her father's office. However, when she turned around, her head planted into a strong chest.

"Hi, dad!" the girl started cheerfully, ignoring the "angry" look on the man's face.

"Hi, traitor!"

"You said that you'll help me with this school research. You keep your words no matter what, do you?" the girl continued to tease her dad.

"Of course I do. You see, I love you just as much as I loved you before I saw that boy devouring you in front of our house!"

"He just gave me a peck on the lips! Don't be dramatic!"

Momose approached the comics and leaned against MC's desk. Out of nowhere, he took a pack of popcorn and offered some to his best friend's wife. Little Hare took the snack and continued watching the absurd drama in front of her.

"You know what's even funnier?" Momose asked, with his mouth half full. MC hummed in response, and the man continued: "Takaru forgot his home keys and is coming here to take my. He'll be here in less than five minutes."

Little Hare choked on the popcorn, and Momose had to give her a few back blows. Meanwhile, his son made his appearance. Takaru bowed in front of all the detectives and went towards his father. Momose already had the keys in his hands and handed them without even looking at the boy. Takaru greeted the two fighting Tsugarus, who couldn't care less about what was happening near them.

MC leaned in her chair and looked from Momose to his son. The men felt her eyes on them and turned towards her.

"Who is taller out of you two? I didn't observe that Takaru is already so tall."

Momose pointed his finger toward his son. Fifteen-year-old Takaru, who had inherited his father's calmness, and probably his mother's kindness, had Momose's famous large shoulders and tall stature.

"Have you ever thought about entering the police?" MC asked the boy. Momose was one of the best detectives that have ever worked for Public Safety. From his words, his son was even more intelligent than him. So, many people thought that he would follow his father's path. Yet, the boy had other ideas. He shook his head and continued watching the scene in front of him.

"Dad," the boy started without turning his head to Momose, who hummed in response. "Tsugaru is a Public Safety detective and from the start was considered nearly a genius, yes?" Takaru got the same response as before. "Usagi is at the top of her class, and the entire school knows how intelligent she is. So what is happening in here?" This time, Momose had no idea what to say. Instead, MC blurted a "Love".

Without saying a word, Takaru went towards Tsugaru and grabbed the man's shoulder. Shocked by the unexpected movement, the Chief turned towards the boy.

"I'm not sure that I can express my love the same way as you, but I promise I will love your daughter wholeheartedly. I will take care of her no matter what. So, don't be mad at her because of me!" Takaru bowed in front of Tsugaru and made a few steps toward his girlfriend. Tsugaru patted the boy's head, as he always did in the past, and went to his office without saying a word.

"Dad! You still have to help me!" Baby Hare yelled and followed her parent.

When Tsugaru's hand touched the doorknob, Takaru added: "I hope you won't mind if I act more maturely than you!"

Usagi stopped mid-way and covered her face in her hands to muffle her laugh. MC faked a cough in a poor attempt to cover her hysterical laugh. Momose squeezed his son's shoulder, took a few deep breaths, and finally said: "Be respectful!" These were the words that unlocked the laugh in him too.

"I don't remember you spending so much time with Kaga and Ishigami," a cheerful voice appeared out of nowhere. Kurosawa put a hand in front of the boy's face and waited for a high-five.

Takaru was too busy maintaining eye contact with Tsugaru. A broad smile followed the stern expression on the boy's face.

"I brought a gift card for you. You can use it for the ice cream from that store that sells jellyfish-flavored sweets."

Takaru made his way to Takaomi with the card in his hand. He stopped midway to squeeze his girlfriend's hand. After the gift reached its destination, Takaru thanked his dad for the keys and said his goodbyes. He knew better than to think that Tsugaru's antics would end with a card. But Baby Hare inherited a part of her father's personality too. So, he was ready to go through everything. Moreover, Momose's and Tsugaru's families were, actually, a big friendly one. Both Takaru and Usagi knew that they were loved by everyone in their family. So, why not tease the members?